Richard Presland ,
PhD

Research Interests

My research interests focus in two different areas, the study of epithelial keratinocyte differentiation and saliva proteomics. The keratinocyte differentiation work has focused on two different proteins that are markers of keratinized epithelia, filaggrin and caspase-14. Filaggrin is an important component of the epithelial barrier, the stratum corneum. Mutations in the FLG gene result in the dry skin disease ichthyosis vulgaris and are a strong genetic risk factor for the common disease atopic dermatitis (eczema). Recently it has been demonstrated that the filaggrin protein is a substrate of the protease caspase-14; caspase-14 itself appears to play a key role in protecting the skin against UVB damage.

The second research area involves proteomic profiling of saliva from chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) patients. This T- and B-lymphocyte-driven disease develops in at least 50% of patients who have undergone an allogeneic bone marrow or stem cell transplant. The goal of this project is to develop a protein biomarker panel that could be used in diagnosis of chronic GVHD as well as to gain a better understanding of the pathogenesis of this complex immune disorder.

Training

Dr. Presland received a B.Sc. (Hons) (1979) and a M.Sc. With Honors (1981) in Biochemistry from the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. He received a Ph.D. (1987) in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Adelaide, South Australia. He has been at the University of Washington since 1989 and a faculty member since 1994.